Bartender Certification Study Guide 2026

A bartender must refuse service to any visibly intoxicated guest regardless of their relationship — declining firmly but respectfully while offering alternatives and ensuring safe transportation.

Storing chemicals separately from food and beverage supplies prevents accidental chemical contamination, which can cause serious illness or harm to customers.

A jigger is a small hourglass-shaped measuring tool used by bartenders to ensure precise and consistent amounts of spirits and other liquids in cocktails. They come in various sizes, with the 1.5 oz / 0.75 oz combination being very common.

Expressing a citrus peel means holding it colored-side down over the drink and squeezing it sharply so the aromatic oils spray onto the cocktail's surface, adding fragrance.

Bartenders should refuse service when an ID appears fake and may be required by local law to notify law enforcement or confiscate the ID.

The Old Fashioned is one of the simplest cocktails — whiskey, sugar (cube or syrup), Angostura bitters, stirred over ice and garnished with orange peel — with no citrus juice or other additions.